A Little Joy
by Danielle Salvatore
Summary: After Elena goes away for a much needed spa weekend with Bonnie and Caroline, Damon is left behind to set up the boarding house for Christmas...along with Stefan and his daughter Delena. (Contains a small dose of DE, Salvatore brother bickering, and Damon-daughter fluff) Written as a very late Christmas present for my friend Hailey.


A Little Joy

**A/N: Hello everyone! First time in a long time that I've written anything for TVD (show-wise anyway) and the very first time I've written something that was even a little Delena related XD I'm a Bamon shipper, but I wrote this story for a good friend of mine, Hailey (Damon_girl on Twitter) as a VERY late Christmas present. I hope you like it Hailey!**

**One thing: Delena, Damon and Elena's daughter in this story, is NOT my creation. She's Hailey's. I'm just borrowing her for this story ^_^**

* * *

"It'll only be for the weekend," Elena comforted as she finished packing her suitcase.

The azure-eyed vampire she was addressing scowled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Christmas is in only a few days, Elena. Am I supposed to set-up the entire house on my own?"

To say Damon was annoyed was an understatement. He had been against making a big celebration about Christmas from the minute Elena had brought it up. He had only given in when Delena had shown so much excitement about "Santa Claus" and presents. He simply hadn't had the heart to tell her that it wasn't going to happen.

But the idea of Elena running off to a spa weekend while he stayed behind setting up for the holidays was another thing entirely.

Elena rolled her eyes, zipping up her suitcase. "You won't be alone. You'll have Stefan to help you."

Damon snorted at the mention of his brother. Though he knew Stefan loved his niece and had finally moved on from Elena, he wasn't sure if Mystic Fall's new resident man whore would take time off his "busy" schedule to help him out with Christmas decorating.

"And that's supposed to make everything better?"

Elena sighed, putting on her coat. "Please don't be difficult about this Damon. Like I said, it'll only be for a few days." The sound of a car horn sounded from outside. "That must be Bonnie and Caroline."

She kissed him shortly on the lips before she headed out the door. "This could be a good opportunity for both you and Stefan to with Delena and with each other," her voice shouted as she walked downstairs.

A few seconds later, Damon heard the sound of the front door opening and closing, signaling his girlfriend's departure.

He mentally scoffed at her last suggestion.

Him bonding with Stefan? That would happen as soon as Elena sat down and had a friendly tea party with Rebekah Mikaelson.

However, Damon had at that moment begrudgingly decided to try to make this weekend work….for Elena's sake. Though the brunette woman hadn't said anything about it, Damon knew her well enough to know that this month had been taking its toll on her. With all of the Christmas planning she hadn't been getting enough sleep or time to herself.

The least he could do was help make sure she and Delena had a good Christmas while she was away spending much-needed relaxation time with her two best friends.

Speaking of the little monster….

Damon smirked as he felt small hands lightly tugging on his legs and as quick as lightening, he scooped the slim body of his three year old daughter into his arms.

"Gotcha angel!"

The little girl's azure eyes, that looked so much like her father's, lit up excitedly as he tiny hands gripped at his shirt."

"Lemme go daddy!"

Damon grinned and kissed the top of her head. "I don't think so, you little monster."

She giggled. "Mwe no monstew."

He was just about to reply when he heard the front door suddenly open and a series of footsteps that were no doubt coming from his brother.

And let the fun begin….

Still carrying Delena in his arms, Damon made his way downstairs, finding Stefan at the bottom of them.

With a chuckle, Stefan took off his jacket and threw it onto the chair beside him. "You look busy, brother."

Damon ignored his brother's comment and instead decided to break the news he had received right then and there, placing Delena gently back down on her feet.

"Elena bailed on us for the weekend."

Stefan furrowed his brow. "For the whole weekend? But Christmas is only in a few…."

"Exactly. And now the two of us are officially on holiday preparation duty."

Stefan laughed. "You want me to help you set up the house for Christmas?" His voice was laced with heavy disbelief.

"Not especially, but since you're the only one in town at the moment, I'm kind of stuck with you."

Stefan rolled his eyes before shaking his head. "I don't want to help you."

"Don't be a baby Stefan," Damon replied flatly.

Stefan shook his head again, letting out a short sigh. "You get crazy when you're planning something, especially if it involves the house. By the end of it, we'll have killed each other."

Damon smirked. "Is poor little Steffy afraid of me?"

Delena giggled. "Uncle Steffy Scawed?"

Stefan frowned. "No Delena, I am not scared." He looked directly at his older brother. "Fine, I'll help you. But I don't think it's a good idea."

Damon forced a smile, and feigned a casual gesture as he wrapped an arm around his brother's shoulders.

"Don't be so pessimistic brother. This weekend could turn out to be a great bonding experience for us."

Stefan's eyebrows rose in response to the words. "You aren't serious, are you?"

Damon scoffed. "Of course not." He removed his arm from his shoulder.

Stefan gave an over-exaggerated sigh of relief. "Thank god. I was actually worried for a second."

Damon rolled his eyes, picking Delena back up into his arms again and walking back up the stairs.

"Go get some sleep. We awake at dawn."

* * *

At 10:00 A.M the next morning, Damon, Stefan, and Delena all three got up to fetch the Christmas tree.

The ride to the stand was for the most part silent; the only sound that could be heard was the sound of Delena blowing bubbles in the backseat.

Stefan grinned at the sight of her from the rearview mirror.

"I'm surprised you're letting her do that back there."

Damon frowned. "It's far from being the first time."

"Yes, but it hardly ever happens in your precious car."

Damon narrowed his eyes as he parked the car, not allowing himself to give Stefan the satisfaction of succeeding in irritating him. "Instead of berating me, why don't you go make yourself useful and go check to see if this place is opened?"

Even if it wasn't, they would still get a tree one way or the other. But for now, he would play nice.

Stefan smirked, but his as his older brother asked, and got out of the car. "Having a kid has changed you. You can't take a joke anymore."

He then disappeared into the small tent set-up, in search of the person in charge of it.

"Brat," Damon muttered under his breath after he was gone.

A small laugh sounded from the backseat of the car.

A smile forced its way across the vampire's lips again as he turned around in his seat, facing the beautiful little girl behind him.

"What's on your mind, angel?"

She laughed again, her small face seeming stuck in an excited smile. "Daddy, you and Uncle Steffy awe funny!"

He rolled his eyes, but chuckled lowly in amusement. "Well kiddo, I'm glad we could entertain you." He frowned as he noticed how much she was currently squirming in her car seat. "But you have to stay in your seat until we get back home, okay?"

"I want out."

Damon sighed when she wouldn't stop fidgeting. He didn't like being cross with her. But from the looks of it, it was going to have to come to that this time.

"Delena, sit still. Now."

"No!"

He gritted his teeth, his frustration quickly growing. He hated it when she back talked.

"Delena, if you don't stop moving, I will lock you in your room with no ice cream tonight."

He ended the sentence with an impulsive snarl that left little Delena finally freezing, her lip quivering a bit in fear.

Damon frowned. He hadn't meant to scare her that badly. "Angel…"

Before he could get another word out, soft cries began to erupt from the small girl, tears streaming down her delicate cheeks.

At that very moment, as if on cue, the door swung open and Stefan poked his head in.

"They said we could get a tree, but we'll need to…." He trailed off as his green eyes landed on Delena, who was still crying quietly in her car seat.

Stefan let out an exasperated sigh before striding over to the backseat to comfort the weeping child.

"What did you do Damon?"

For a second, the azure-eyed vampire looked like he was hesitant to answer but just as quickly, his shields were back up and a casual expression took place.

"She wouldn't stop trying to get out of her car seat, so I ordered her to stop. Simple."

"Then why is she crying?" Stefan glared at him suspiciously as he pulled Delena into his arms, soothingly rocking her back and forth.

Damon shrugged. "Beats me. She's sensitive. Probably inherited that from her mother."

Stefan shook his head. "You're unbelievable." He looked down at Delena. "Come on midget. I'm sure your dad will say sorry for yelling at you later." He smiled softly. "Would you like to come help me pick out a Christmas tree?"

At once, her tears instantly stopped. "Yes pwease!"

"Come on then." Without another glance towards him, Damon watched as his younger brother picked her up into his arms and out of the car.

With a thin layer of bitterness, he watched them walk towards the tent of trees, until they eventually disappeared inside it.

It always ended like that. Damon could discipline Delena and then, like the saint and hero that he was, Stefan would swoop in and make it all better.

Sometimes, he was sure that he did it on purpose just to piss him off or make him look bad. But…the more rational and logical side of him knew that despite what a cocky douche Stefan could be these days, he did truly love his niece. And Delena loved her Uncle Steffy. The real problem with it all was that she had him wrapped around her little finger.

_He's already been whipped by women in relationships, so it really is no surprise that he would also be whipped by his little niece as well, _Damon thought to himself with a smirk.

But the smirk quickly faltered at remembering how upset Delena had been. He really hadn't meant to make her cry. Sometimes he just didn't know how to properly filter himself.

Oh well. He supposed he could find a way to make it up to her later. If it was one thing his daughter had definitely inherited from her mother, it was her sense of forgiveness.

* * *

"For God's sake Stefan! You were supposed to get a tree for the house, not the damn mall!"

Damon glared as he watched Stefan try (and fail) to get the enormous tree he and Delena had picked out into the boarding house.

Stefan sighed as he placed the tree back down, though still keeping a firm grip on it to stand it up. "It was the tree Delena wanted, and I told her she could pick it out. What was I supposed to do?"

"You were supposed to tell her 'no' and have her pick out a smaller tree. That's what any somewhat intelligent adult would do," Damon ranted, before closing his eyes for a moment to calm himself down.

When he re-opened them, however, his gaze on his younger brother was just as steely and infuriated as it was before.

"How are we supposed to get that thing into the house?"

"Calm down." Stefan looked back at the house for a moment, before bravely looking back at his older brother, despite the currently murderous aura he was radiating. "If you help me by taking the trunk of it, we could carry together horizontally. It'll fit into the doorway that way."

Wordlessly, and for once, managing to contain his rage, Damon nodded and leaned down to pick up the trunk of the tree.

* * *

Minutes later, however, he found himself faced with an even bigger dilemma.

Setting up the tree.

"Hey Stefan, do you think you could move the tree over to the dining room for just a little bit? I think there's a spot there that you haven't completely covered in pine needles yet," Damon said bitingly, watching as Stefan finally placed the tree in its stand.

"So a few pine needles got on the rug. Get over it."

"If it stains…."

"Pine needles don't stain."

Damon crossed his arms over his chest. "And you know that for sure how?"

Stefan sighed. "I just do. But if you're that worried about it, I'll start picking up the mess right now, alright?"

"Good. You get right to it."

With one last attempt at peace, Stefan turned towards him again. "And look at how happy Delena is. Don't you think the tree was worth it?"

At his brother's words, Damon turned to look at his daughter, who was currently standing in front of the tree, a huge, radiant smile firmly visible on her adorable little face.

Suddenly remembering what had transpired between them only about an hour ago, Damon cleared his throat and kneeled down to her level.

"Hey angel. So you like the tree?"

"Ywes!" She exclaimed happily, turning to face him, the smile still present.

She seemed to have forgotten that the little incident of him making her cry ever occurred.

But if Damon was truly being honest with himself, he knew he wouldn't feel completely better about it unless he actually apologized.

He gently pulled her into his arms. "Listen kiddo. I'm sorry I made you cry back in the car. I didn't mean to." He paused to kiss the top of her head. "Does my little princess forgive me?"

She gave off another one of her heart-melting giggles. "It's otay daddy."

She then curled herself into him and he closed his eyes in content, picturing the look of pure joy that had been on her face when she looked at the tree.

Maybe this whole Christmas thing wouldn't turn out to be such a bad idea after all.

**The End **


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